Connecting Fisheries' Systems of Knowledge an effective communication tool to be used with fishers and to promote discussion and engagement. Our aspiration is to bring new and replicable tools to the policy interface in Latin-American fisheries, based on both stakeholder participation (including LEK) and the best scientific information available.

<p>The shallow waters around Isla del Coco, Costa Rica, have the highest density of apex predators within the Eastern Tropical Pacific. This represents a unique opportunity to assess the structure of predatory interactions in a community relatively unimpacted by fishing. Facilitation of predation has commonly been observed in shallow reef systems, limited in depth by observations via scuba divers. Here we present a preliminary catalog of facilitative behavioral interactions between 12 taxa of deepwater piscivores at Isla del Coco and Las Gemelas Seamount in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, collected via video from submersible vehicles to depths of approximately 311 m from 2002-2012. Observations were ad hoc and likely represent only a portion of the web of interactions that occur in this ecological setting. That such interactions can be observed to 300 m during the narrow time frame of submersible dives suggests that direct behavioral facilitation of piscivory may play a significant role in the apex predator guild of deepwater fishes. Investigating the extent and population-community consequences of such interactions will provide valuable insight into patterns and processes that occur in communities protected from direct fisheries as well as focus conservation actions. Rev. Biol. Trop. 64 (Suppl. 1): S187-S196. Epub 2016 February 01.</p><p> </p>

Community Perception and processes of Integrated Coastal Zone Management in the NorthPacific of Costa Rica. The tendencies in perception on use and management of marine and coastal resources in the North Pacific of Costa Rica were studied through consultation workshops in the communities of Cuajiniquil, Villarreal, Montezuma, and surrounding areas. A total of 112 people from eight communities attended the workshops. Overall, there was higher attendance by men than by women. The main marine resources identified were fisheries and beach/waves; highlighted activities were fishing and tourism. The Costa Rican Institute of Fishing and Aquaculture (Incopesca) was identified as having deficient participation in the management of resources, besides was assigned low participation to the artisanal fishing and tourism. The involvement of women as leaders in Montezuma was highlighted, which emphasized the need to promote the autonomy of coastal women so that more female citizens are in the condition to contribute as legitimate stakeholders in the decision making process. The main challenges detected were illegal fishing in Marine Protected Areas and overfishing. As solutions, the communities proposed elements of sustainable fishing, and the elimination of trawling and compressor diving. The consultation process revealed the need to propose economic alternatives to fishing, the education of local communities, focus more attention on management categories that do not prohibit artisanal fishing, and to promote the participation of the civil society in the decision making process. Existing mechanisms should be used to promote community inclusion and participatory processes. Rev. Biol. Trop. 62 (Suppl. 4): 139-149. Epub 2014 Diciembre 01.

From 2006 to date the submersible DeepSee has been used to study the deep waters in and around Isla del Coco National Park, Costa Rica. Over these years, images and samples have been collected at depths between 50 and 450 m. Here we present a catalogue of bony fishes recorded by the submersible in deep waters of Isla del Coco, 500 km south-southwest of mainland Costa Rica, and at Las Gemelas Seamount within the designated Seamounts Management Area, 50 km southwest of Isla del Coco. A database with video-images of bony fishes was created from videos taken by the submersible’s high-definition digital camera from 2006 to 2015. Additional information on the distribution of fishes was obtained from 11 dives (24.3 hrs) using the remotely operated vehicle Hela at Las Gemelas Seamount during February 2012. Images of bony fishes were obtained during 376 dives (365 DeepSee dives plus 11 Hela dives) in 18 different locations, and here we report on a total of 85 taxa (i.e. putative species). In this catalogue we present images that are the first color photographs published for some species. In other cases, identifications were possible only to the level of genus (11), family (5) or order (1); hence the information is presented in terms of putative taxa. Four new records are reported for Isla del Coco: Leptenchelys vermiformis (Ophichthidae), Hyporthodus mystacinus (Serranidae), Kathetostoma averruncus (Uranoscopidae), and Symphurus diabolicus (Cynoglossidae). Depth ranges of twenty-six species are expanded beyond previously published records; three were observed in shallower water, twenty-two in deeper water and one was observed both shallower and deeper than in previous reports. As might be expected, increased bottom time with the submersible resulted in additions to the list of documented species. This highlights the importance of maintaining systematic research efforts in the deep waters around Isla del Coco, both for scientific purposes as well as conservation.

Isla del Coco is an oceanic island 500km off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. It is a National Park and its marine fauna has been relatively well protected. The island is famous for its elasmobranch (sharks, rays and skates) sightings in shallow waters. Here we present a catalogue of the deepwater elasmobranchs observed with the DeepSee submersible. Five species of sharks, six species of skates and one ray have been observed between 45 and 330m depth. Triaenodon obesus, the white tip reef shark, was commonly observed between 80 and 301m, but only in the afternoons. Sphyrna lewini, the scalloped hammerhead shark, was observed as deep a 303m, but commonly between 45 and 90m, and close to the island. Odontaspis ferox, the smalltooth sand tiger shark, was observed between 82 and 316m. Echinorhinus cookei, the prickly shark, was observed between 91 and 320m. Rhincodon typus, the whale shark, was observed only close to the island, between 77 and 80m. Taeniura meyeni, the marbled ray, was observed only close to the island, between 45 and 90m. A Dasyatis sp., similar to the the diamond stingray, was observed only once close to the island at 60m; this is the first report of this genus at Isla del Coco National Park. Manta birostris, the giant manta, was only observed close to the island at 90m. Mobula tarapacana, the sicklefin devil ray, was observed between 60 and 326m, extending its maximum depth almost 10 times what has been reported. Aetobatus narinari, the spotted eagle ray, was observed only close to the island between 60 and 82m. Torpedo peruana, the Peruvian torpedo ray, was observed only once at 313m, and is the first record of this species from Isla del Coco National Park. Citation: Cortés, J., A. Sánchez-Jiménez, J.A. Rodríguez-Arrieta, G. Quirós-Barrantes, P.C. González & S. Blum. 2012. Elasmobranchs observed in deepwaters (45-330m) at Isla del Coco National Park, Costa Rica (Eastern Tropical Pacific). Rev. Biol. Trop. 60 (Suppl. 3): 257-273. Epub 2012 Dec 01.

Encouraging people’s pro-environmental behaviors is an objective of Education for Sustainable Development. In the context of small-scale fisheries, unsustainable fishing practices are compromising the integrity of coastal communities and ecosystems. Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) is an ecosystem modeling software that presents interactions/changes in the food web as a result of fishing. Despite the multiple applications of EwE in fisheries management, it is unknown from a quantitative perspective whether the application of EwE trophic modeling in environmental education processes and management produces effects on norms and ecological beliefs, and if it alters behavioral intentions of the participants receiving ecosystem modeling information. We conducted a behavior change intervention with gillnet fishers in the Gulf of Nicoya, Costa Rica, to compare antecedents of pro-environmental behavior between participants who received an ecosystem-based intervention (lectures containing EwE models; treatment) and those who received lectures that didn’t involve EwE (control). Based on theories of environmental psychology, we used a pre–post survey design, to evaluate changes between control/treatment, and to assess the influence of psychometric constructs and fishing characteristics on the behavioral intentions to support sustainable fishing measures and owning a fishing license (revealed behavior). Personal norms and values were significant at explaining management measures’ support, along with some fishing characteristics (e.g., fishing site). Deliberating about possible future scenarios (via EwE-modeling) helped reduce uncertainties, increasing legitimacy and a perceived behavioral control (PBC) to support measures. Currently, licenses in the Gulf aren’t granted under defined ecological criteria, and although altruistic-biospheric values scored highly before the intervention began, due to mistrust and high illegal-unlicensed fishing, fishers may be underestimating how much others care about the environment. Value-oriented and ecosystem-based interventions may assist to effectively redesign the licensing system and encourage fishers to support sustainable measures. Our research indicates the importance of education interventions that teach about the impacts of fishing in the ecosystem while helping participants to perceive themselves as capable of implementing actions (PBC) and expressing biospheric-altruistic values to restore trust. Redirecting human behaviors to reconnect with ecosystem resilience can be a leverage point for sustainability and for the compliance of small-scale fisheries management measures.